Pry latch



C. L. EADS March 6, 1962 PRY LATCH Filed June 29, 1959 w F. L m R w 6 3,024,054 PRY LATCH Charles L. Eads, North Hollywood, Calif., assigner to Adams Rite Manufacturing Company, Glendale, Calif., a corporation or California Filed lune 29, 1959, Ser. No. 823,575 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-126) The present invention relates generally to latches for closures such as doors, windows, panels and the like; and is more particularly concerned with latches that are provided with means for forcibly prying a sliding closure open, when the latch is in unlatched position.

It is one Object of the present invention to provide a pry latch having an operating handle which may be utiliZed for both opening and closing operations of a closure, and when opening the closure from closed position will initially act as a pry for breaking the closure seal and as 4a lever for initiating movement of the closure.

A further object is to provide in a pry latch, a latch arrangement in which the latch is so mounted that it may be moved to latching position, when the closure is moved to a closed position, without moving the actuating handle of the device.

Another object is to provide a handle operated pry latch device, wherein Vapplication of force to the handle in a door opening direction motivates an associated latch to its unlatched position faster than the handle is being moved, and thereafter acts as a pry member -rfor initiating opening movement of the closure.

Still another object is to provide a latch and door actuating handle assembly of relatively thin construction, which will permit its being mounted within the limits of the outer side edge of the associated door stile, with the latching end of the latch member extending into `a shielded position in the stile interior.`

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view showing the pry latch assembly incorporating the present invention as being applied to the stile of a closure member.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational View, having portions of the casing cut away, and other portions shown in section in order to disclose the operative relationship of certain of the parts thereof;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 3 3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 4 4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, for illustrative purposes, the pry latch embodying the features of the present invention is disclosed in FIG. 1, as indicated generally by the numeral 1l) as being secured to a stile 11 of a sliding door or closure structure 12. The stile 11 is adapted to seat in a channel frame member 13 constituting a part of a frame structure 14 within which the closure is mounted. While for purposes of illustration the invention has been described in connection with a sliding door, it will be appreciated that in its broad concept the invention is not to be so limited, since it may be utilized with window structures, sliding panels and the like.

More specifically, the stile 11, FIG. 3, is shown as being `fabricated to form a tubular member which is longitudinally recessed as indicated `at 15 to receive an edge of a glass or other panel 1o therein. The stile, in the closed 3,9245/l Patented Mar. 6, 1962 position of the closure is arranged to seat within the channel 13, this channel being mounted so as to open outwardly and thus form a jamb for the stile 11. In the usual construction, strips of mohair pile 17 are provided -for sealing the stile in closed position.

The pry latch has its parts mounted in a casing 13 having a relatively narrow or thin thickness so that it may be mounted within the limits of the space between one edge of the stile and the edge of the glass panel. For such purpose, the casing is constructed U-shaped with elongate `spaced side walls 19 and 2l) which are in parallel relation and connect to a bridging bottom 21. The outermost edges of the side walls are curved as indicated by numeral 22, and connect with end edges in each case as indicated at 23 and 24 which `are also slightly curved, the edge 24 being slightly longer than the edge 23. Between the side walls 19 and 20 there is positioned a lever member 25 having `a bulged lug portion 26 intermediate its ends by means of which the lever is rockingly pivoted on a pivot pin 27 having its ends respectively supported in the side walls 19 and 20. At its ends, the lever member has projecting linger portions 28 and 29 which extend inwardly towards the ybottom 21 of the casing, the finger portion 29 being somewhat longer than the linger portion 28. The lever member is therefore slightly inclined with respect to the bottom 21, and has its outer longitudinal edge surface conformed generally with the outer edges 22 of the casing, and the outer edge of the end linger portion 29 conformed with the casing end edge 24. A looped spring 30 has coiled portions Isurrounding the pin 27 on each side of the lug 26, this spring acting to normally bias the lever 25 in a direction to move the finger portion 29 to a stop position against the bottom 21, as shown in FIG. 2. This is the normal position of the lever member, and in this position a projecting handle portion 31 extends above the casing where it is convenient to manually grasp, for operating the door `as will hereinafter be explained more fully.

A latch member 32 is swingably supported in the casing by pivot pin 33' between the ends of the latch member, this pivot pin having its ends respectively supported in the spaced side walls 19 and 20. One end 34 of the latch member has a camming edge 35 which is in engagement with an edge portion 36 of the lever member 25. The opposite end 37 of the latch member 32 extends through an opening 38 in the bottom 21, and is provided at its end terminus with a hook 39. A spring 40 is arranged to bias the latch member to latching position, and to maintain the camming edge 35 in engagement with edge 36 of the lever member. The pry latch unit as thus described is mounted in operative position on the stile 11 by means of mounting screws 41-41 in the bottom 21 of the casing. As thus mounted, the end 37 of the latch member extends A through an opening 42 in the adjacent wall of the stile 11,

the yopening 42 being in registration with the opening 38 in the bottom 21 of the casing.

With the pry latch assembly thu-s mounted, the end 37 of the latch member is contained within the interior of the stile 11, being thus shielded and hidden so that there l is no projecting part extending to the exterior of the stile.

Immediately below the end 37, the wall of the stile 11 opposite the wall containing the opening 42 is provided with an opening 43 through which a keeper 44, secured to the adjacent surface of the channel 13, is adapted to enter the interior of the stile 11, when the closure is moved to closed position. In `such closed position, a notch 45 in the uppermost end of the keeper i's adapted to receive the hook 39 of the latch member, thus latchingly connecting the closure structure 12 against opening movement with respect to the frame structure 14. The upper edge of the keeper has an inclined edge portion 46 over which the hook 39 will ride during closing movement of the closure so as to permit entrance of the hook 39 into the notch 45. It will be observed that during this movement of the latch member, the latch member is free to swing about its pivot Without moving the lever 25 and its connected handle 31.

Considering now that the closure is in latched closed position, as shown in FIG. 2, the closure may be unlatched and opened by grasping the handle 31 and exerting a pulling force Ithereon in an opening direction. This force will rotate the lever member 25 in a clockwise diret:` tion about its pivot, such movement acting upon the end 34 of the latch member and rotating the latch member in a clockwise direction which releases the latch with respect to the keeper 44. During this action, it will be observed that due to the length of the lever arms, the latch member will rotate at a faster speed than that of the lever 25 so that the latch will be released in the initial movement of the handle 31.

As `additional force is applied to the handle 31, the finger portion 28 of the lever will be moved endwise through registered openings 47 and 48 and engage the adjacent edge face of the keeper 44. At this point of the operation, the lever becomes a pry member having a mechanical advantage of the order of 2.5 to 1 for breaking the closure seal and initiating opening movement thereof. In this respect, the device is so designed that the opening breaking pressure required to be exerted on the handle will approximate that required to directly move the door after the seal has been broken.

From the above description, it is believed that it will be apparent that the designated objects have been accomplished.

Various modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the lart without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, hence, I -do not wish to be restricted to the specific form shown or uses mentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pry latch for a relatively movable closure, comprising: a U-shaped casing having elongate spaced parallel side walls extending from a bottom bridging portion, a lever member positioned between said side walls and supported by a pivot between its ends thereon for rocking movement, said lever having finger portions concealed by said casing positioned on opposite sides of said pivot and extending towards said bottom, one of said finger portions being movable into engagement with the bottom at a stop position limiting the rocking movement of the lever in one direction, and the other of said nger portions being movable to ya pry position projecting through an opening in said bottom, when the lever is rocked in an opposite direction, a handle for opening and `closing the closure, said handle being integral with said lever and extending beyond said casing, and acting to move said one of said fingers to said stop position when closing the closure, a latch member in said casing positioned between said lever pivot and said other linger portion, said latch member being pivoted between its ends for rocking movement to latched and unlatched positions, one end of said latch member projecting through an opening in said bottom and the other end of said latch member being positioned in the path of movement of and engaged by said lever during rocking movement thereof in said opposite direction when utilizing the handle to Open the closure, and which movement actuates said latch to unlatched position, and spring means biasing said latch towards latched position and said lever in said one direction.

2. A pry latch for a sliding door having a tubular stile adapted in closed position of the door to abut a fixed frame member and receive through an opening therein a keeper mounted on the frame member, said pry latch comprising: a U-shaped casing having elongate spaced parallel side walls extending from a bottom bridging portion adapted to be secured to an inner surface of said stile, a lever member positioned between lsaid side walls and supported by a pivot between its ends thereon for rocking movement in a plane parallel to the plane of movement of the door, said lever at its opposite ends respectively having iinger portions positioned on opposite sides of said pivot extending towards the said bottom, one of said linger portions being movable into engagement with the bottom at a stop position limiting the rocking movement of the lever in one direction, and the other of said iingers being movable to a pry position projecting through registered openings in said bottom and said stile, when the lever is rocked in an opposite direction, a handle integrally formed with said lever for opening and closing said door, said handle extending substantially vertically beyond said casing in spaced relation alongside said tubular stile and being movable to actuate said one of said fingers to said stop position when using the handle to close the door, a latch member in said casing pivoted between its ends for rocking movement to latched and unlatched positions, one end of said latch member pro- References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,097,155 Adams May 19, 1914 2,655,395 Groeger Oct. 13, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 212,492 Germany Aug. 4, 1909 

